1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a living body variable measuring apparatus for measuring different variables characteristic of a living body such as a body fat percentage and other useful pieces of information for health maintenance, and more particularly such a living body variables measuring apparatus capable of presenting graphic representations of measured data.
2. Prior Art
One example of such living body variable measuring apparatus is a body fat gauge. In the body fat gauge a bioelectrical impedance is measured to estimate from the so measured bioelectric impedance a body fat percentage, which is supposed to be one indication for adult sicknesses. A variety of body fat gauges have been proposed and actually used. One of such body fat gauges has display means equipped therewith, automatically indicating a series of body fat percentage each selected among those measured each day in the form of bar chart. This facilitates the recognizing of the dieting result, making it unnecessary for the user to record the body fat percentage at each measurement.
When no measurement is made, a blank appears in the bar chart. Assuming that measurement is not made every day, the bar chart will have a number of blanks at irregular occurrence, thereby making it difficult more or less to realize how one has been dieting one""s way down.
A long-termed record of body fat percentage is normally required as the dieting is likely to be continued an elongated length of time. From the point of designing and economical view, however, the area to be occupied by the display is limited in the body fat gauge. As a compromise one body fat percentage is selected among those measured each day to be recorded, as mentioned above. The xe2x80x9csingle record per dayxe2x80x9d, therefore, cannot meet the user""s demand for watching how the body fat percentage varies in a day.
Also disadvantageously, a body fat gauge which permits two or more people to record their body fat percentage in the form of bar charts is apt to allow the user to record his body fat percentage in a wrong location which is allotted to another user.
One object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a living body variables measuring apparatus equipped with a display capable of presenting a graphic representation, which living body variables measuring apparatus is free of disadvantages such as described above, facilitating a good understanding of the presented graphic representation; providing the advantage of versatile records of measurement; and preventing one""s record from being interfered by others"" records.
To attain this object a living body variable measuring apparatus equipped with a display capable of presenting a graphic representation is improved according to the present invention in that the graphic representation is composed of crosswise arrangement of rectangles relative to abscissa and ordinate representing time and measured quantity respectively, thus permitting each rectangle to represent a quantity measured at a selected time. This arrangement has the advantage of facilitating the grasping of the presented graphic representation even though blanks appear in the graph thanks to the limiting of the required pieces of information to specific narrow areas.
Each rectangle has relatively long horizontal sides and relatively short vertical sides. This configuration facilitates the lateral sweeping of the line of sight to survey how the time-related variation is like.
Rectangles may have different shapes and/or sizes and/or colors for distinctive lengths of time. Different groups of information can be allotted to rectangles distinctively distinguishable from others in terms of shape, size and/or color, thus facilitating the understanding of presented graphic representations still more.
The rectangular presentation beyond the permitted range of measured quantity may be different from the rectangular presentation within the permitted range of measured quantity in appearance. This assists a quick understanding of graphic representations.
The display may show how much a mark-to-mark space or division indicates when switching from the minimum range of measurement to the maximum range of measurement or inversely in the scale. A good understanding of presented graphic representation in terms of what quantity is indicated by mark-to-mark space or division at the first glance.
A living body variable measuring apparatus equipped with a display capable of presenting a graphic representation is improved according to the present invention in that it includes a decision making unit, thereby permitting the user to make a required decision in terms of whether the measured quantity should be recorded or not. This assures that the graph be composed exclusively of the records which the user makes, allowing no blanks to appear in the graph. Also advantageously, the records selected by the user can be held exclusively, thus preventing the recording of the result of such undesired measurement as erroneously made by referring to others"" personal particulars. No interference of others"" records are assured equally.
In case of two or more people being permitted to record their measurement results the living body variables measuring apparatus may further comprise a warning unit which informs the user of a wrong measurement if made, by referring to others"" particulars already registered. This assures no interference of others"" records.
A living body variable measuring apparatus equipped with a display capable of presenting a graphic representation is improved according to the present invention in that it includes a data-acquirement time setting unit, thereby permitting the user to selectively determine at what time the required measurement may be made. This permits the user to make a required measurement when he presumes to be convenient, thereby contributing reduction of blanks in the graph, and at the same time, minimizing the possibility of allowing others"" records to invade in the location allotted to the user""s record or vice versa thanks to the time-division recording allotted to individuals.
In the graphic representation different lengths of time allotted to different measurements may be distinguishable in color.